Tuesday, January 31, 2017

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Weston Peick suffered a hard crash during practice at last week’s race in Phoenix, Ariz. He was transported to a nearby hospital where it was discovered that he had a lacerated kidney and a broken wrist. Peick underwent successful surgery Sunday night on his wrist, the kidney should heal on its own. Although the recovery time is difficult to accurately predict at this time, he is expected to need several weeks of healing time before he can begin preparing to return to riding, and then racing. His condition will be updated as more information becomes known. Peick was riding exceptionally well before the crash, and was coming off a season-best fifth place the week prior.

“Weston was riding really well with lots of confidence on the RM-Z450, I am really bummed for him but we look forward to a full recovery and seeing him back racing once he is healthy and ready,” said team manager Jeremy Albrecht.

Since Justin Barcia, who has been recovery from a wrist injury is expected to return to racing in the next couple of weeks the team will not look to replace Peick with a fill-in rider at this time. Jake Weimer, who has been substituting for Barcia will race his RM-Z450 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum this Saturday, Feb. 4, with Phillip Nicoletti contesting the 250SX class aboard his RM-Z250. The race will air on Fox Sports Two starting at 7:00 p.m. (EST).

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KENNESAW, GA. (Jan. 30, 2016) – It was an experience building weekend for Ronnie Stewart and the MicroBilt/PRBC Yoshimura Suzuki team in Phoenix, round four of the 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series. The series made its first visit outside the state of California Saturday night and played to a crowd of 54,274 fans inside University of Phoenix Stadium and a live national television audience on Fox Sports 1. A red flag in the Last Chance Qualifier may have cost Stewart a chance of qualifying for his second-consecutive main event, but in spite of that fact, he felt the weekend was a success for the team.

Stewart qualified 31st on his MicroBilt/PRBC Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 with a time of 1:06.141, putting him comfortably into the evening program.

From there he finished 16th in the night show’s second 450 heat race and took 10th in the first semi. In the LCQ Stewart used the power of his Yoshimura-built machine to nail a great start.

Unfortunately, the start was wiped off the slate after the race was red flagged. He started sixth on the restart and then washed out his bike’s front end while attempting to make a pass in the short and hectic four-lap event. That slight error cost him big, and Stewart was credited with 15th in the LCQ. His night was over before he’d hoped, but Stewart still flew the MicroBilt/PRBC team banner for three races in the night show giving sponsors a good deal of exposure. He left Phoenix with positive thoughts on the experience.

“We put a solid weekend in the books,” Stewart explained. “The pits were jumping with fans all day. I would say it was by far the busiest pit party of the season for us. We also had a nice turnout of MicroBilt's VIPs.

“For me on track, I felt like I got a lot out of the event from practice all the way through the LCQ in terms of breathing better, flowing and feeling confident. It would've been great to continue where I left off last week by getting in the main event and working on twenty minutes plus one lap clean, but it doesn't define the weekend as a fail. There are many positives to take away from Phoenix and apply going forward.”

Next on the schedule for Stewart and Team MicroBilt/PRBC Yoshimura Suzuki is series round five this Saturday, Feb. 4, at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. The event will be televised at 10:00 pm Eastern on Fox Sports 2.

Monday, January 30, 2017

Kicking off their 2017 international MX season, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP team riders Max Anstie, Max Nagl and Gautier Paulin were among a strong line-up of elite MXGP class competitors who contested the opening round of the Internazionali d’ Italia Motocross series in Riola Sardo. Making a last-minute decision to compete in Sardinia, the event formed an important part of the team’s preparations ahead of the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship that kicks off on February 25, in Qatar.

Spending the last month testing and training in Spain and the south of France, the three-rider Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP squad officially started their 2017 racing season in the deep sand of the Riola Sardo track in Sardinia, Italy. Putting in a strong performance aboard his new FC 450 machine, Britain’s Max Anstie wrapped up the race with two seventh place results in the MX1 and Elite class finals respectively.

Working towards returning to the speed that made him a top contender during last year’s MXGP series, Max Nagl collected a ninth and an 18th place results during the two final motos in the deep sand of Sardinia.

The opening round of the Internazionali d’ Italia Motocross series marked Gautier Paulin’s first competitive outing in Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team colours. The Frenchman raced cautiously to wrap up round one of the series with 17/18 results.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP riders return to action on February 5 for the Hawkstone International MX in Great Britain, where they will be joined by their Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team riders Thomas Covington, Conrad Mewse and Thomas-Kjer Olsen.

Antti Pyrhönen – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP team manager: “Like always it’s great to get back racing after the off-season. And it’s great that all our riders finished the event without problems or injury. We hadn’t originally planned on competing in this race, so we didn't set our expectations too high. Training and testing is very different to racing, so getting some real race experience in before the first GP is always our goal. For our guys the race provided some very challenging conditions – the soft sand was very different to the training they’ve been doing in Spain and the south of France. But we knew how it would be, but also that there’s no better training than racing. We’re back racing again now, which is great. We’re looking forward to racing at Hawkstone Park next weekend as we build our preparations ahead of the first GP.”

Foothill Ranch, CA (January 29, 2017) – Monster Energy Kawasaki riders Eli Tomac and Josh Grant came into Round 4 of the AMA Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship looking for the win. It wasn’t long before the No. 3 machine was looking comfortable underneath the dome, qualifying four-tenths of a second off the leader. Tomac would grab the 450 Heat Race 1 holeshot and lead every lap to capture his second heat race victory of the season, while his teammate Grant finished fourth to advance into the Main Event. At the start of the 450 main, Tomac took his second holeshot of the night and quickly began stretching out his lead over the field. At the halfway mark, Tomac had stretched his lead to over 10 seconds on the field and wouldn’t stop there, as his lead reached 18 seconds at one point. Tomac rode his KX™450F flawlessly to his first Monster Energy Supercross victory of the year while teammate Grant took the checkered flag in 12th.
“We came into this weekend feeling really positive,” said Tomac. “We changed a lot in the week leading up to the weekend, both on the bike and myself. I wasn’t impressed with the results I was getting, so we needed a change and it worked. After tonight’s performance, I truly feel like I’m back to my normal self and I can’t wait for next weekend.”

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Justin Hill looked to carry the momentum from his win at Angel Stadium into Round 4 in Glendale, Arizona. After qualifying on pole, Hill went on to win his heat and teammate Austin Forkner backed him up with a second place finish. When the gate dropped on the 250 Main Event, rookie Forkner grabbed the holeshot aboard his KX™250F with Hill rounding Turn 1 in fourth. Forkner held the lead for five minutes before slipping back into third. Hill began clicking off the laps, slowly inching up on the leader until he was within striking distance. With two laps remaining, Hill blitzed the whoop section and pushed the leader wide to take over the position. He would go on to win his second consecutive Main Event of the season and a historic 250th supercross/motocross win for Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki. Forkner held on to get his first professional Monster Energy Supercross podium with a third place.

“I pushed hard and around the halfway mark,” said Hill. “I knew I was inching up on the leader, I was hitting my marks and riding well. My mechanic was doing really well at getting me my times and keeping me up on where I was at. I dropped the lead down to about four seconds and then the leader tangled with a couple lappers and I reeled up on him and I thought, this is it, I’m going to do it! Even after the race I was talking with my family and still couldn’t believe I did that. I did it, it was so cool!”

“The race was good,” said Forkner. “I rode a lot better than I have been, more consistent and didn’t make mistakes. I was really confident in my starts, back to back weekends I’ve earned both holeshots in the heat and main. With starts like that I knew I was going to be up there and thought if someone gets by I just need to relax, figure out what they’re doing better than me and use it to be better. I knew I needed to not make mistakes like I did in the heat where I cased the triple trying to pass someone back. I tried to ride smooth and fast, I’m really happy with how I opened the race and I held the lead for a few laps which is definitely the best I’ve done so far.”

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (January 28,
2017) – The fourth round of the 2017 AMSOIL Arenacross season featured
arguably the most competitive battle for victory in the championship
thus far inside
Bridgestone Arena. For the first time this season, the
250AX Class featured two different Main Event winners, but the rider who
emerged with the overall victory was a familiar one, with TiLUBE/Jack
Link’s/TUF Racing Honda’s Jace Owen claiming his fourth win of the
season to extend his points lead. In the Eastern Regional AX Lites
Class, Babbitt’s/GPF/Monster Energy Kawasaki/MMCR’s Jacob Williamson
became the third different winner in that championship.

Before the Main Events got underway, defending AMSOIL
Arenacross Champion and Team Babbitt’s/Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki,
presented by AP Design, rider Gavin Faith earned his third RMATV/MC Head
2 Head Challenge win of the season, defeating Rockstar
Energy/OTSFF/Yamaha, in association with Cycle Trader and Rock River,
rider Chris Blose. The triumphant effort gave Faith two championship
bonus points.

Faith was able to carry that momentum into the first 250AX
Class Main Event, securing the holeshot ahead of TiLUBE/Jack Link’s/TUF
Racing Honda’s Ben Lamay and Rockstar Energy/OTSFF/Yamaha’s Matt Goerke,
while Owen slotted into fourth. Almost immediately Faith and Lamay set a
torrid pace out front, which allowed them to open a gap over Goerke in
third. The lead group settled in through the mid portion of the 15-lap
Main Event. Faith and Lamay remained separated by mere tenths of a
second, but Goerke continued to lose ground to Owen and on Lap 9 the duo
engaged in a battle for third, with Owen ultimately taking over the
position.

Keeping Faith within striking distance allowed Lamay to
mount a challenge for the lead in the closing laps. He successfully made
the pass on Lap 13 and held on for his first Main Event win the season.
Faith followed with a close second, with Owen finishing third. Goerke
was fourth, with Blose in fifth.
The start of the second 250AX Class Main Event saw Owen put his Honda
into the lead, edging out Goerke and Custom
Powersports/Spinechillers/TiLUBE Racing Kawasaki’s Steven Mages. Blose
and Faith weren’t far behind. After a seventh-place start Lamay was able
to move into sixth on Lap 1.
Owen was able to open a comfortable gap in the opening laps,
while Goerke settled solidly into second. The battle for third
intensified, as Blose made the pass on Mages on Lap 2. On the following
lap Faith passed Mages for fourth. The leaders continued to spread out
through the remainder of the race, holding on to their positions. Owen
went on to take his seventh Main Event win of the season, finishing
nearly two seconds ahead of Goerke. Blose followed in third, with Faith
fourth and Motosport Hillsboro Kawasaki’s Gared Steinke fifth, just
ahead of Lamay.

When the overall results were tallied Owen’s (3-1) finishes
were enough to give him the edge over Faith (2-4) by just a single
point. Goerke rounded out the overall podium in third (4-2). Lamay
finished fourth (1-6), with Blose fifth (5-3).

Owen was able to add one point to his lead in the 250AX
Class championship standings, which now sits at 21 points over Faith in
second. Goerke sits third, 25 points out of the lead.

The 15-lap Eastern Regional AX Lites Class Main Event saw
Williamson get out to an early lead over Powerband Racing &
Suspension Suzuki’s Broc Gourley and Yamaha rider Keith Tucker. Title
contender Justin Cooper rounded the first lap in last place, 16th,
aboard his Yamaha. The clear track allowed Williamson to open a slight
gap, leaving Gourley and Tucker to battle for second, from which Tucker
took over second on Lap 3. As the battle up front was unfolding,
Powerband Racing & Suspension KTM’s Brandon Gourley was on a hard
charge to the front after starting sixth. He progressively made his way
into fourth, and was then able to pass his brother for third on Lap 5.
He didn’t stop there, passing Tucker for second on Lap 7.

As Williamson pulled away out front, Brandon Gourley and
Tucker continued their fight for second, with both riders suffering
their own bouts of misfortune on Lap 12. Gourley lost several spots and
remounted in fifth, while Tucker found himself in eighth. That allowed
Team Babbitt’s/AMSOIL/KTM’s Isaac Teasdale to take over second, and
Yamaha Rock River bLU cRU rider Justin Cooper to move into third.

Williamson led every lap to take an easy win, with Teasdale second and Cooper third.
Cooper’s third-place finish allowed him to maintain control
of the Eastern Regional Championship. He now sits just four points ahead
of Williamson, who moved into second. KTM rider Heath Harrison is
third, 16 points out of the lead.

AMSOIL Arenacross continues next weekend with its fifth
round of the 2017 season from Louisville, Kentucky’s Freedom Hall. The
action kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 4.

At round four of the AMA Supercross series, Team Honda HRC's Cole Seely steadily improved throughout the day to ultimately secure fourth in the 450 main event, leaving him third in the championship point standings. Teammate Ken Roczen remained sidelined, continuing to receive medical treatment for injuries sustained the previous weekend in Anaheim.

Image courtesy American Honda

For the second consecutive weekend, Seely launched his CRF450R off the line to a solid third place start before moving into second on the opening lap. While the gap for the lead extended, the battle for second intensified, and Seely narrowly slipped to fourth place where he held on to the finish.

NOTES

The Glendale track featured long straights and large, fast rhythm sections that saw lap times hovering around the minute mark. Seely laid down a time of 1:01.042 for 11th quickest during the daytime qualifying sessions.

Slotted in the second heat race, Seely scored a sixth-place start. By the end of the six-lap race, Seely had moved up to fifth, forcing him to transfer through to the Semi.

In the Semi, following a start that landed him in the third position, Seely improved his pace, moving into the second position that he held to the finish.

It was a positive night for Smartop/MotoConcepts Honda Racing's Justin Brayton as he secured his best finish of the season. Off the start, Brayton asserted himself into second early in the race but quickly came under fire by the competition. He relinquished a few spots before crossing the finish line in sixth.

Team Honda HRC rider Ken Roczen continues to receive medical treatments at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado from injuries sustained at Anaheim 2. Roczen's Honda CRF450R remained ready under the Honda awning, and the outpouring of fan, team and industry support was high.

It will be a short week for Team Honda HRC, as Seely heads to Oakland, California early to take part in press activates. He will meet with regional media on Thursday before getting the opportunity to preview the track on Friday.

THE FOCUS: Unwavering Support From Near and Far
A rider sustaining serious injury and a team being a rider down can easily shatter morale. However, for Team Honda HRC, that is not the case as they continue to move forward as a united front. Support for both Seely and Roczen came from all reaches in Glendale. Crowds of fans visited the pits inquiring about Roczen while also getting autographs and wishing Seely luck. While the team had Roczen in their thoughts, the world-class race support for Seely was textbook. Throughout the day, the collaboration and support ranged from coaching and analysis, to mechanically and mentally assimilating to the track and ultimately providing encouragement for Seely to maintain a singular focus: winning.

"This is the best team environment we've had in as long as I can remember," said Team Manager Dan Betley. "We're in a strong and emotionally stable place with everybody. I can't say enough about the guys and the support within the team. Between the riders, they were starting to get a close bond right when this happened."

Seely agreed, "We've really enjoyed the time we've spent together on the team. But it's such a bummer to not have him around anymore. Watching him crash, it hurt me. We've talked on social media and video chat and he's in good spirits."

Now several surgeries in to mend his injured left arm, Roczen perseveres with the same vigor and wit that he showcases on race day. But he hasn't done it alone. His family, girlfriend, management, competitors, Team Honda HRC staff and fans are all in his corner. Following his accident and subsequent surgeries, Roczen conveyed his appreciation on social media: "I got the luckiest with the people that are loving and supporting me…"

QUOTESCole Seely
It wasn't in the cards for me tonight. The soil is super tricky here: sometimes I've ridden here and it's gone well and sometimes not. The line changed throughout the day and between the heat rounds and the main event I thought I had my lines picked out. But it changed and that changed my night. Mentally I feel like I'm stronger than I've ever been.
The bottom line is that I want to win and we'll see what happens in Oakland.

Dan Betley: Team Manager
Our goal is to get on the podium every week so I'm a little disappointed in that. But overall, I think it ended well. We struggled through the day in the rhythm sections but he put up a really good fight with (Ryan) Dungey, so I was happy to see that. He's starting to get more accustomed to the new bike and that's really important. I feel like we're all reeling a little bit from Kenny (Roczen) being injured and I think it's a good rebound from last weekend if that's even possible. His challenge will just be to believe in himself and maintain his confidence – he has the potential to keep the pace at that level.

Rich Simmons: Mechanic (Cole Seely)
Cole improved throughout the day, but line choices in the two big rhythm sections were where he was inconsistent and probably cost him his podium spot. Overall, there were some positives. He's shown that he has the speed to run up front and if he is more consistent in decision-making and confident in himself he'll get there. Heading into the main event we were all confident and he was confident. He got a great start but he didn't pull the trigger on those rhythm lanes that gave him the speed he needed.

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Sunday, January 29, 2017

Aspen, CO, January 27, 2017 – On day two of X Games 2017, crowds gathered in Aspen, Colo. for the Snow BikeCross Finals, bringing a rapidly growing, new sport to the forefront of the action sports world. The introduction of Snow Bike Racing to the X Games did not disappoint, delivering a thrilling race featuring both young and veteran athletes fighting for the inaugural gold medal.

“It ain’t over until it’s over,” said Gold Medalist Hoyer. “I dug deep and I can’t thank Timbersled, Polaris, Yamaha and Rockstar enough for giving me the best product out there and for helping me bring home the gold for everyone that’s a part of this crew!”

Hoyer was the fastest qualifier and ran a nearly perfect race to win by a margin of more than 11 seconds. He took the lead early in the 30-lap final and never looked back. The tight, short track got rougher with every lap, but Hoyer’s Timbersled snow bike conversion system gave him the performance and handling he needed to work his way through traffic in dominating fashion. Hoyer was joined on the podium by Silver Medalist Haaker, who also raced a Timbersled system on his Husqvarna bike.

“Congratulations to Brock Hoyer, Colton Haaker and all the racers competing today in this impressive debut for snow bikes at X Games,” said Chris Wolf, vice president, Polaris Snow Division. “A special thanks to Brock for being a pioneer for Timbersled and the sport of snow biking. He’s been with us from the beginning. This is a huge milestone!”

A Timbersled system converts a dirt bike into a snow bike that rides on a ski up front and a track in the rear. The system is a top choice for snow bikers and racers because it delivers the best performance, the most-innovative technology and the most-exciting riding experience. Timbersled is owned by the No. 1 powersports company, Polaris Industries, and is the brand fueling the rapid growth of snow biking.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The fourth round of the 2017 AMSOIL Arenacross season featured arguably the most competitive battle for victory in the championship thus far inside Bridgestone Arena. For the first time this season, the 250AX Class featured two different Main Event winners, but the rider who emerged with the overall victory was a familiar one, with TiLUBE/Jack Link's/TUF Racing Honda's Jace Owen claiming his fourth win of the season to extend his points lead. In the Eastern Regional AX Lites Class, Babbitt's/GPF/Monster Energy Kawasaki/MMCR's Jacob Williamson became the third different winner in that championship.

Before the Main Events got underway, defending AMSOIL Arenacross Champion and Team Babbitt's/Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki, presented by AP Design, rider Gavin Faith earned his third RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge win of the season, defeating Rockstar Energy/OTSFF/Yamaha, in association with Cycle Trader and Rock River, rider Chris Blose. The triumphant effort gave Faith two championship bonus points.

Faith was able to carry that momentum into the first 250AX Class Main Event, securing the holeshot ahead of TiLUBE/Jack Link's/TUF Racing Honda's Ben Lamay and Rockstar Energy/OTSFF/Yamaha's Matt Goerke, while Owen slotted into fourth. Almost immediately Faith and Lamay set a torrid pace out front, which allowed them to open a gap over Goerke in third. The lead group settled in through the mid portion of the 15-lap Main Event. Faith and Lamay remained separated by mere tenths of a second, but Goerke continued to lose ground to Owen and on Lap 9 the duo engaged in a battle for third, with Owen ultimately taking over the position.

Keeping Faith within striking distance allowed Lamay to mount a challenge for the lead in the closing laps. He successfully made the pass on Lap 13 and held on for his first Main Event win the season. Faith followed with a close second, with Owen finishing third. Goerke was fourth, with Blose in fifth.
The start of the second 250AX Class Main Event saw Owen put his Honda into the lead, edging out Goerke and Custom Powersports/Spinechillers/TiLUBE Racing Kawasaki's Steven Mages. Blose and Faith weren't far behind. After a seventh-place start Lamay was able to move into sixth on Lap 1.
Owen was able to open a comfortable gap in the opening laps, while Goerke settled solidly into second. The battle for third intensified, as Blose made the pass on Mages on Lap 2. On the following lap Faith passed Mages for fourth. The leaders continued to spread out through the remainder of the race, holding on to their positions. Owen went on to take his seventh Main Event win of the season, finishing nearly two seconds ahead of Goerke. Blose followed in third, with Faith fourth and Motosport Hillsboro Kawasaki's Gared Steinke fifth, just ahead of Lamay.

When the overall results were tallied Owen's (3-1) finishes were enough to give him the edge over Faith (2-4) by just a single point. Goerke rounded out the overall podium in third (4-2). Lamay finished fourth (1-6), with Blose fifth (5-3). Owen was able to add one point to his lead in the 250AX Class championship standings, which now sits at 21 points over Faith in second. Goerke sits third, 25 points out of the lead.

The 15-lap Eastern Regional AX Lites Class Main Event saw Williamson get out to an early lead over Powerband Racing & Suspension Suzuki's Broc Gourley and Yamaha rider Keith Tucker. Title contender Justin Cooper rounded the first lap in last place, 16th, aboard his Yamaha. The clear track allowed Williamson to open a slight gap, leaving Gourley and Tucker to battle for second, from which Tucker took over second on Lap 3. As the battle up front was unfolding, Powerband Racing & Suspension KTM's Brandon Gourley was on a hard charge to the front after starting sixth. He progressively made his way into fourth, and was then able to pass his brother for third on Lap 5. He didn't stop there, passing Tucker for second on Lap 7.

As Williamson pulled away out front, Brandon Gourley and Tucker continued their fight for second, with both riders suffering their own bouts of misfortune on Lap 12. Gourley lost several spots and remounted in fifth, while Tucker found himself in eighth. That allowed Team Babbitt's/AMSOIL/KTM's Isaac Teasdale to take over second, and Yamaha Rock River bLU cRU rider Justin Cooper to move into third. Williamson led every lap to take an easy win, with Teasdale second and Cooper third.

Cooper's third-place finish allowed him to maintain control of the Eastern Regional Championship. He now sits just four points ahead of Williamson, who moved into second. KTM rider Heath Harrison is third, 16 points out of the lead.

AMSOIL Arenacross continues next weekend with its fifth round of the 2017 season from Louisville, Kentucky's Freedom Hall. The action kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 4.

The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory
Racing team made their way to the University of Phoenix Stadium in
Glendale, Arizona to battle an extremely technical and tough track for
the fourth round of AMA Supercross.

Martin Davalos got a good start in his
heat race and immediately started fighting for the lead. He stalked the
leader for the majority of the race before making an impressive pass to
move into the first-place position with two laps to go. He held on for
the win and transferred directly to the main. He got caught up at the
start of the main but was fifth by the end of the first lap. He stayed
strong, continued to push his way through the pack, and made his way
into fourth by the second lap before settling into a nice rhythm aboard
his Husqvarna FC 250. He started closing the gap on third before a quick
mistake set him back a few spots. He rebounded quickly and made an
impressive move over the triple where he passed two riders at the same
time. He was fifth in lap nine and refocused his efforts on completing a
solid race. He held strong to the end to finish fifth. He is currently
fourth overall in 250SX West rider point standings.

“Today was good,” said Davalos. “It
was the best I’ve felt all year. I had a good heat race, but lost my
momentum a little bit in the main and the guys up front were just too
far gone so I ended up fifth. I’m going to work harder on getting a
better start in the main and just going to stay positive and keep doing
what I’m doing."

Jason Anderson got a top 10 start in his
heat and was sixth by the end of the first lap. He navigated into the
fifth-place spot by the last lap, with his sights set on the attack for
the final transfer spot. He attempted the pass in the sand section but
ended up going down in the corner and finished fifth. He started second
in the semi and quickly made the pass for the lead. He led a solid race
and earned the win to transfer to the main. He got a mid pack start in
the main and came out of the first lap in 11th. He put in work and
fought for his position the entire race and would eventually finish
10th. He is currently ninth overall in 450 rider point standings.

“I’m lucky to be able to be riding
today,” said Anderson. “I wasn’t able to ride once this week, and I
wasn’t able to work out. I’m just going to work at it and try and be
better for the next round."

Christophe Pourcel started in the back in
his heat but quickly started moving through the pack. He was ninth at
the start of the second lap, continued to push, and finished seventh. He
pulled a top-10 start in the semi, moved into fifth by the end of the
first lap, and held on to the finish to earn the final transfer
position. He started in the back of the pack in the main and tried to
put in the work to move ahead. He stayed consistent the entire race and
finished in 17th.

“The track was pretty beat up,” said
Pourcel. “It was hard packed and very slippery. It was super tricky and
had a couple big sections so it was tough to get comfortable. The whoops
were pretty sketchy. I couldn’t really find my rhythm today. I just
rode my own race and I’m hoping for a better night soon."

The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory
Racing Team now heads to Oakland, California to compete in the fifth
round of the series next Saturday at O.Co Coliseum.

Friday, January 27, 2017

Team HRC put the final touches to their preparation for the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship assault with the first official pre-season test of 2017 in Sardinia. Having secured a clean sweep of titles in 2016, the reigning World Champions are set for an all-out title defense in what is set to be an MXGP battle royale.

In a change to 2017, as announced at EICMA last November, Team HRC – MXGP will field World Champion Tim Gajser #243 and Evgeny Bobryshev #777, who will be in his 7th year with Honda, on a pair of factory Honda CRF450RW machines.

The relationship between HRC and Fox Racing has grown this year as Gajser will now join Bobryshev in being head–to–toe in Fox. He will be wearing the newly developed V3 Helmet and Fox air defense goggles which is a first for the brand. HRC MXGP also welcomes Pirelli and Yoshimura to the team as well as continuing its relationship with Motul and Omec for 2017.

The all-new 2017 CRF450RW starts the new season with enviable pedigree – Gajser took its first moto victory at the SMX Riders’ and Manufacturers’ Cup event at the end of last year, and in America new-signing Ken Roczen took early domination in the AMA Supercross series.

Honda Racing Corporation also welcome two new faces to the MX2 team with Michele Cervellin #747 and Chihiro Notsuka #28 on a pair of factory Team HRC – MX2 Honda CRF250RW machines.
The team have been in Sardinia this week riding a variety of tracks and will finish off the week with the first round of the Italian championship in Riola.

The MXGP season kicks off at Losail next month in Qatar on the 24th-25th of February, under the floodlights of the only night race of the year.

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January 27, 2016 (Ketchum, ID) – Mobius Braces, the industry leader in “game changing” knee brace protection, is pleased to announce the addition of several new riders to the team for 2017.

Our Supercross and Motocross division will see the inclusion of Trey Canard, and Zach Osborne, while Ty Tremaine,Grant Baylor, and Jordan Ashburn join the off-road department. These riders will be equipped with Mobius X8 Knee Braces as they pursue titles in their respected fields.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Payson, UT (Jan. 23, 2017) – Round three of the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross season headed back to Angels Stadium in Anaheim, CA for A2. The rain held off forSaturdaynight’s race, and with Bubba Burger‘s grilling for team fans in the pit area, Team Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-KTM-WPS riders Davi Millsaps and Blake Baggett scored a 1-2 finish in their heat race, and a pair of top ten finishes in the main event.

A2 Rider Reports

Davi Millsaps

Photo Credit: Kardy Photo

During 450SX heat race 2, Davi Millsaps launched out of the gate to lead the field into the first turn. He used the advantage to build a sizable lead, and with Engine Ice providing the dependable horsepower every lap, Davi took the win and earned his spot in the main event. A mid-pack start in the main had Davi working double time as he moved his way through the field. He battled into the top ten, and by the end, Davi had finished the night in 9th place. After 3 rounds, Millsaps stands 7th in the championship point standings.

“Overall it was a good night.” said Millsaps, “It felt good to be out front and win my heat race. We are getting better every weekend and I’m ready to battle up front in the main next weekend in Glendale.”

Blake Baggett

Photo Credit: Kardy Photo

Blake Baggett was on the throttle from the drop of the gate, rounding the first turn and taking second place in the heat right behind his teammate. Baggett looked solid every lap and his close finish carried him through to the main event. In the main, Blake rounded the first turn mid-pack and began working his way up the field. Baggett kept his composure, hitting his lines as his WP Factory Services suspension allowed him to attack the track every lap. He crossed the finish line in 10th place, taking the checkered flag right behind his teammate Millsaps. After round 3, Baggett moved up to 16th in the championship point standings.

“I felt good tonight.” said Baggett, “The track was my style and I rode well. We are making progress and look for another top ten finish next weekend in Glendale.”

Team Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-KTM-WPS will head to Glendale, AZ for round four of the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross Series.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

KENNESAW, GA. (Jan. 24, 2016) – Ronnie Stewart earned a major breakthrough Saturday at Anaheim II, round three of the 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series Saturday night aboard his MicroBilt/PRBC Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450. Stewart earned his first start in a Supercross main of the 2017 season in front of 42,984 fans at Angel Stadium and a live national television audience on Fox Sports 1.

Stewart continued to climb the ladder in qualifying, pushing his MicroBilt/PRBC Yoshimura Suzuki to a time of 1:00.392 to qualify 27th, his best placing of the young season. However, in spite of the improved qualifying position, there was still the matter of trying to make the main event, where only the top 22 riders get in.

After a 17th-place finish in his heat race and 12th in his semi, Stewart had just one last shot in the Last Chance Qualifier to make the big show, and when the pressure was on, he came through.
In the LCQ fought his way to a fourth-place result, just a little over four seconds out of the lead, earning him the final ticket to the main. The key for him was changing up his entry into the first turn and taking a line that may have not been the fastest but kept him out of the trouble that often happens on the outside of a turn.

Qualifying for the featured event of the night brought jubilation for Stewart, who spent much of the season injured in last year’s Supercross campaign and then came back and tried to ride his way back into condition, never ideal in the ultra-competitive world of Monster Energy Supercross.
In the main Stewart finished 20th. An exciting achievement and cause for celebration for both the team and Stewart fans, since it was nearly two years since his last main event.

“It was a blast,” Stewart grinned when talking about Anaheim II. “It’s always been a goal for me to race the 450 main event under the bright lights of Angel Stadium. “Turning in my personal best qualifying position set the stage for an exciting night. I hope to continue this momentum and make it an exciting year.

“We continue to make great progress with bike setup and we’re heading to Arizona early this week to continue testing and fine tuning. I’m looking forward to keep progressing. Making the main event was very special. I went through a period of pretty much all of 2015 I was out or battling with an injury. To get back in the mix for the first time was a really good feeling. All of our efforts are materializing and we’re moving in the right direction, day by day and week by week.”

This weekend Team MicroBilt/PRBC Yoshimura Suzuki made a wish come true for a very special and brave young man named Dylan, who has acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, Dylan became an honorary member of Team MicroBilt/PRBC Yoshimura Suzuki and attended his first professional supercross race with Ronnie Stewart and the team.

Stewart and Team MicroBilt/PRBC Yoshimura Suzuki now ready for round four this Saturday, Jan. 28, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The event will be televised on Fox Sports 1.

About MicroBilt: MicroBilt is the single source and preferred provider of decision-critical information for over 35 years that responsibly assists businesses in reducing risk and managing their business. MicroBilt offers the business owner simple, cost-effective solutions and a wide selection of data products for fraud prevention, consumer financing, debt collection and background screening.

About PRBC: PRBC is the world's largest non-traditional credit bureau and allows users to prove their financial responsibility and gives members credit for their utilities, phone/cable, rent, insurance and other bills. The payment histories for these are utilized to create a free PRBC Score.